1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile phone having a hinge. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mobile phone having a dual connection member which allows a liquid crystal display unit and a keypad of the mobile phone to be rotated, and a hinge device thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a “mobile phone” refers to an appliance carried by a user so as to perform wireless communication with a counterpart. Such mobile phones are classified into various types on the basis of the external appearance thereof. For example, such mobile phones may be classified into a bar-type, a flip-type or a folder-type. A bar-type mobile phone means a mobile phone having a single housing formed in a bar shape, a flip-type mobile phone means a mobile phone including a bar-type housing and a flip, which are interconnected with each other by a hinge device, and a folder-type mobile phone means a mobile phone having a single bar-type housing, to which a folder is rotatably connected by a hinge device, so that the folder is foldable in relation to the housing.
In addition, such mobile phones may be classified into a rotation-type mobile phone or a sliding-type mobile phone on the basis of how to open or close them. A rotation-type mobile phone means a mobile phone having two housings which are rotatably connected with each other, so that the mobile phone is opened or closed by rotating the two housings in a state in which the two housings confront with each other, and a sliding-type mobile phone means a mobile phone having two housings, wherein the mobile phone is opened or closed by longitudinally moving the two housings in a state in which the two housings confront with each other. The above-mentioned various types of mobile phones will be easily understood by one having an ordinary knowledge in the art.
Light-weight, thin, simple and small-sized mobile phones are the most prevalent of the conventional mobile phones of the above-mentioned various types but have a disadvantage in that they are convenient only when a user performs voice or image communication with a counterpart.
As mobile communication services have been gradually diversified, mobile phones have developed into multi-media appliances. However, mobile phones have not yet got out of the conventional types of mobile phones, such as the folder-type, the sliding-type, etc. In addition, although the users' tastes have been diversified as the use of mobile phones has been generalized, the types of mobile phones have not yet satisfied the diversified tastes of users.
In order to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages, a display rotation-type mobile phone has been developed.
Such a mobile phone allows a user to rotate the display device of the folder thereof so as to watch moving images or video programs through a wide screen.
However, such a conventional display rotation-type mobile phone is inconvenient in using a keypad arranged in the longitudinal direction in the main body of the mobile phone when the keypad is used in a game mode function, although the mobile phone is convenient in watching moving images or video programs merely by rotating the display device of the folder.
In addition, the conventional display rotation-type mobile phone is provided with a hinge axis for the folder at the center of the folder. Therefore, if the folder is rotated about the hinge axis, a space is formed between the folder and the main body of the mobile phone. Furthermore, such a space is always produced whenever the folder is rotated, which causes the size of the mobile phone to be increased and acts as a primary factor that hinders the miniaturization of the mobile phone.